


Before Our Time

by DestiniDestati



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Adoption, Adoptive Siblings, Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/M, Kid Fic, Minor Character Death, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:55:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26265355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestiniDestati/pseuds/DestiniDestati
Summary: Eraqus hadn't expected to become a parent to his three younger siblings. After their parents died, though, Eraqus couldn't let them go back into the foster system. Now, he and his boyfriend Xehanort (the Third), were trying to make it work as best as they could. All the kids were well loved, and they were taken care of, but sometimes? Feelings just got too big.Background Ships: Strifehart
Relationships: Eraqus/Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	Before Our Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LetoaSai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/gifts).



> A gift for LetoaSai <3 I've followed the Strifehart Family Fluff series for years now, and I've had this idea in my head ever since I spied an Aqua cameo.
> 
> Also a note, in this series, I imagine Xeha to be relatively distant from his family, and that he is the Younger version. Master Xehanort is his grandfather, and has money because of some sort of business thing. I'm Happy for him.

Eraqus always figured that he would adopt kids. He just hadn't anticipated that it would be so soon. His hands were sticky with fruit juices as he fixed his siblings' lunches. He'd occasionally lick a finger clean or run his hands under the water so he could safely turn the textbook page. The words went from swimming together to sort of making sense to more blurry nonsense; at least if nothing else, the pages wouldn’t stick together.

Yeah, he was regretting not studying last night. _Really_ regretting it.

His siblings came first, though. And if that meant waking up early every morning to cram studying with lunch making, he’d do it. Their wellbeing was the only thing that mattered. "Kids!" He shouted, glancing at the time as he closed shut the last bento. "School, up and at 'em!"

Like (almost) every morning, he sat his bag on the kitchen counter, waiting for his siblings to follow suit. Aqua yawned into the back of her hand, bed head still there, but that was an issue for another day. "Checklist time."

Three hums of agreement followed, though with various speeds of actually pulling the backpacks onto the counter. Eraqus checked through his own bag. “Pencils and pens?” He asked, waiting for them to show him it was in the bag. They went through, checking for homework folders, notebooks, house keys, and scissors. He then gave them their lunches, color coded for each kid. Aqua took her purple lunch kit, Isa’s blue, and Terra his orange. It was hectic, but Aqua and Terra were 10 and Isa just turned 9. They knew the routine, and were pretty good about keeping up with certain things on their own. At least he didn’t have to help wrangle them out of bed anymore. Or make sure teeth were brushed and shoes were on the right feet.

Eraqus got a hug out of all of them and a hair ruffle out of Aqua and Terra, but not Isa. The youngest was averse to touch, to say the least. He watched as they boarded their bus, and then began the trek for his transport. The walk was worth it. It was close to their school, and close to his job so he never had to worry about them. Getting to _his_ school on the other hand was a bit more dodgy. His phone rumbled in his pocket, showing Xeha’s name on the screen. Eraqus didn’t quite swallow the bit of morning PB&J in his mouth when he answered, but he was able to hum. Close enough to a _good morning, dear_.

“You’re not on your balcony,” Xeha said, as if Eraqus didn’t know.  
  
“Yeah,” Eraqus mumbled, trying to talk through his bite. “Wednesday, I take the tram.”

“Hate to break it to you, but it’s Tuesday. Though, I won’t stop you from riding the tram.”

“Aah, no. Nope. You can come pick me up, I’m almost to the stop.” Eraqus jogged the rest of the way, earning a laugh out of Xehanort. “Please, I don’t want to wait another five days to see you.”  
  
“You’ll see me in class.”   
  
“You know what I meant.” If they were in the car together, this would be the perfect opportunity to elbow Xeha in the ribs. Both for the smart-assery as well as the having to cancel on Saturday. (Although the cancelling was absolutely understandable, school first).

Xeha laughed again, “Then I’ll pick you up, your majesty.” 

Idle chatter passed between them on the phone before Xehanort pulled up to the curb, parking so that Eraqus could find his way into the car. He sat his backpack by the door, and immediately grabbed a small grocery bag from one of the pockets. Eraqus pressed a kiss to the side of Xeha’s face before he leaned down and started to shove trash in the bag.

“How do you keep such a fine chariot in such a state?” Eraqus teased. His boyfriend’s car had been like this since Xeha first drove him home. That was almost three years ago now that he thought of it.

He shrugged it off. “Food deliveries. Also some of this is you, too.” Xeha poked at Era’s side, as best as he could. Eraqus pressed himself against the door to escape death by tickling, laughing the whole time. 

“Okay, okay, I submit. This is my trash, too. But we’re cleaning out your car when we get home tonight, Eraqus threatened.

Xehanort smirked, “and then what do you have planned?”

Eraqus just rolled his eyes, not even entertaining the thought of anything but getting dinner on the table, the kids in bed, and some studying done, “philosophy. You said you’d help me with the discussion boards.”

\---

Aqua, Isa, and Terra usually got home about 45 minutes before Eraqus (and Xeha, were he tagging along). Aqua was oldest by a few months, born in the summer rather than the winter, but Terra liked to pretend he was in charge in of the trio. Aqua and Terra tried to unlock the door first, and then nearly tumbled in. It was routine by this point, and any day Eraqus was home, they were scolded for the behaviour. Isa was content to not tussle with his older brother and sister.

Homework was done before TV, but now and again, Terra would put on something in the background, be it a show about Meow Wow, Stamp’s Adventures, or even the news. Aqua enjoyed listening to the news-- she found the world fascinating, and was more than happy to read the newspaper everyday. Isa would retreat to his room, deciding to read until Eraqus got home and put him on track to doing his homework.

Aqua set up camp at the kitchen table, although she had a perfectly functional desk in her room. She set out chicken to thaw (although she was never asked to do so), and pulled pasta down from the cabinets. Today, she was assigned an English paper that wasn’t due for another two weeks, but she wanted the first draft out of the way. If she got it all done, then she could go to dance without worrying. She felt compelled to help out. She liked Xeha enough, but she wasn’t stupid nor ignorant, she could see the growing bags under Eraqus’ eyes.

Terra huffed in the living room, shoving his maths homework to the floor. The new way he was being taught left him in the dark. Worse, Aqua was on a different level of math, and Eraqus took one look, swore under his breath, and handed it back. Eraqus mentioned a tutor, and to ask his teacher, but Terra didn’t want that. He wanted his mommy to sit down with him and show him how to solve the problems. Terra stomped up to his room, and brought a handful of action figures down to the living room. He knew he was too old to play with toys still, but it made him happy. The school counselor assured him that anything that made him happy was okay, just as long as he didn’t hurt himself or others. He had talked to Xeha now and again. He found it so hard to talk to Eraqus.

It wasn’t like Terra was the only one to lose his mommy and daddy. He sniffled when he thought about this, rubbing his eyes when Aqua peered over the counter to look at him. He didn’t want to cry in front of Aqua either. She had lived with them nearly as long as he and Era had. But she never seemed to get upset, and school was so easy for her, and she was perfect.

Then Isa stayed to himself and never said anything. He had always been quiet, and the only rule he ever broke was reading before his homework was done. Terra rubbed at his eyes more, burying his face in his arms and the coffee table. Terra felt awful, and sometimes his feelings were bigger than he was, and he didn’t know what to do about it. No one wanted to be friends with someone who’s original mother and father gave him away, whose second attempt at parents died.

Era was upon him before he even knew that his big brother came home. Terra was nearly as tall as Eraqus was now, and he was probably heavier too. He still had his baby fat, and it just… it was all just so much. And he told Era and Xeha just this before apologising.

“I-I-I’m s-sorry,” he whined, attracting the attention of his sister who came to sit on the couch behind him, petting his hair back. Aqua always felt awful when Terra felt awful. Like she failed as a big sister, and the whole thing felt like a mess.

And then Xeha suggested something, moving from Terra’s side to sitting on the coffee table in front of him. “You know what I do when I’m sad?” He asked.

“You get sad?” Terra asked, not believing it for one second.

“I can. I run, or I saw a really cool place the other day that does all kinds of classes, maybe even Taekwondo. It’s like that really cool stuff you see ninjas do on TV.” Xeha bumped Era’s knee. “Your brother used to do it, too.”

Terra turned in Era’s lap, tears forgotten. “Really?” He asked. 

Era nodded in response, “would you like to try that? You can go when your sister goes to ballet?” Era worried about the cost in the back of his mind, but if it helped Terra cope, then he would split the heavens and earth to make it work.

“I want to!”

\---

Eraqus then went to find Isa, holed up in his room still. The boy was the youngest of all of them, and honestly? Eraqus couldn’t quite figure out what his brother needed. Aqua and Terra were always fairly open with their emotions, what they needed. Isa was… more reserved. He, though, of all of them, had the hardest time adjusting to adopted and foster life. Isa had been separated from Aqua, and had difficult times in the foster system.

Eraqus knocked on the door, peeking inside when he got the affirmative to enter. Isa had his nose stuck in a large novel, probably lightyears above the typical reading level. Era didn’t know much about the series, except there was an organisation trying to get their hearts back, and the hearts of their friends. Era… worried about the content, but if it gave Isa joy, he would take it.

“Hey buddy,” Eraqus started, and Isa without words or turning his head gave Era the homework folder they had. He checked to see history, a reading log, and a science project to do. The back of the paper had instructions, and Era huffed.

Schools now of days, they required so much outside time, not even to mention so much _money_ that as a single father he didn’t have. “Okay, finish your reading and I’ll be back up, okay?” Isa nodded, and Era made his leave to his own room.

“You’ve got this,” Xeha said, wrapping his arms around Era’s waist when he approached him in the hallway. He pressed a kiss to the exposed part of his boyfriend’s neck, and rocked them back and forth. “ _We’ve_ got this.”

“I can’t ask you--”

Xeha snorted, “they’re your siblings. And what better practise for our own preteens and teenagers.

Era yelped, patting Xeha’s hands around his waist before pulling him into his bedroom and closing the door. “You can’t let the kids hear that, they may--”

“--get upset and think you’re replacing them, and we’re so young, and excuses, excuses.” Xeha took Era’s hands in his own. “I want to take care of you, and if that means taking care of your siblings, so be it. Kingdom above knows my grandfather has enough cash to spare _now_ , and the inheritance is--”

“--split between you and your dad.” Era recited. “I don’t want hand outs.”

“It’s not handouts if we’re together, and I plan to keep you around.”

“... okay, just because I want to keep _you_ around too.” Era said, acquiescing to the argument.

Xeha led them to the bed to sit, “so I’ll take care of Terra’s martial arts class, or whatever it is. I think it’s ran by the husband of one of the professors, a Strifehart, something like that.”

Era’s eyes narrowed, he wasn’t going to argue about that right now, either. “That sounds familiar. I think Terra mentioned a Strifehart kid in his homeroom.” though, who was to say. Era could be supplying convenient memories in place of actual facts at this point. “I need to figure out something for Isa, he spends all his time cooped up in his room.”

Xeha shrugged, falling back onto the mattress. The room was still bare and plain for the most part, but it was still only 6 months after moving back into his old home. Things were still raw and nerves exposed. 

“We can try and get him into chess? I think he needs something one on one.” Xeha mused. (It was how the two of them met, maybe it would work for Isa).

Era collapsed onto Xeha’s chest, earning an oof from his partner and _possible co-parent_. “He does seem to retreat into his shell in groups. None of us were like that, so I don’t even know what to do about that.”

“Parenting forums?”

Era snorted, “ _Hey, my little brother has some trauma, and reads senior level books voraciously, we don’t know if he even likes it. How do we make him make friends?_ C’mon, we can’t put that out there. They’d rip us apart!” 

The fact that Era began to refer to them as a singular unit wasn’t lost on the either of them. Era still had a paralysing fear that Xeha would back out, that something would happen during college, or after college that would make him leave. He couldn’t afford to do that to his siblings, but… they each accepted Xeha as a part of their lives at this point.

Xeha shoved Eraqus off of him, pulling himself up to stand. “So, let’s feed our kids. I’ll cook and tutor you, and you can try taking notes for a change?” Xeha teased.

“I do think Aqua hinted she wanted chicken spaghetti tonight.”

“I think we can indulge in going off plan a little, especially since Terra had his little meltdown earlier.”

Xeha kissed Era’s forehead, leading them out. “So studying, dinner, and we can go by that self-defense place, see what they offer.”

“Sounds good to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> The rest of the series here: [ Strifehart Fluff](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1108581).


End file.
